Q: My teething 16-month-old is inconsolable at night and can't sleep. Is this normal?

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Question:

My 16-month-old, who I believe is teething his back molars, has been unable to sleep for the past few nights. He has all the classic symptoms we've seen before—red cheeks, drooling, and difficulty sleeping—but no fever. During the day, he seems fine, although a bit more tired than usual.

However, once nighttime arrives, he cannot settle down to sleep. He will doze off for a moment and then wake up screaming. This cycle repeats for hours, and he seems very frustrated and uncomfortable. Our usual calming strategies and even co-sleeping, which helped on previous tough nights, are not working this time.

Is it normal for the last set of teeth to cause this much pain? His sleep routine is usually very consistent, so this seems directly related to teething, but it feels much more intense than ever before.

Answer:

It's totally normal for them to be fine during the day and then a nightmare at night when there are no distractions from the pain.

Motrin (ibuprofen) seemed to work better because it helps with the inflammation in their gums. This is a totally normal, but awful, phase since those teeth are huge and take forever to cut through.

For extra peace of mind and clear guidance when tracking your child's symptoms, the FeverCoach app is always there to help.

https://fevercoach.us